Fabulous Fruit Pie

Name: Fabulous Fruit Pie
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1 pkg of 2 frozen pie shells; 5 cups thinly sliced cored peeled apples; 3/4 cup granulated sugar, (or more or less, depending on the sweetness of the apples); 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon; 5 cups sliced pitted peeled peaches, (or frozen - don't defrost); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 5 cups blueberries, rinsed and stemmed (or frozen - don't defrost); 3/4 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 5 cup chopped rhubarb, (or half rhubarb, half strawberries; or frozen - don't defrost); 1 cup granulated sugar; 2 tbsp all-purpose flour; 2 tbsp cornstarch

Makes8 to 10 servings

flickr.com/yakoshka

Start with enough pastry dough for a 9 in. (23 cm) double-crust pie (two single pastry crusts). Roll half out for the bottom, fill with your favourite fruit mixture, and roll the other half out to make a top crust.

Ingredients

1 pkg of 2 frozen pie shells

Apple Filling

5 cups thinly sliced cored peeled apples
3/4 cup granulated sugar, (or more or less, depending on the sweetness of the apples)
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Peach Filling

5 cups sliced pitted peeled peaches, (or frozen - don't defrost)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice

Blueberry Filling

5 cups blueberries, rinsed and stemmed (or frozen - don't defrost)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp lemon juice

Rhubarb Filling

5 cup chopped rhubarb, (or half rhubarb, half strawberries; or frozen - don't defrost)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).
On a well-floured surface, roll out half of the pastry (one crust's worth) into a 12 in. (30 cm) circle, as evenly as possible. Carefully transfer it to the pie pan, folding the pastry in half or quarters to make it easier to handle. Centre the pastry in the pan and gently press it into place. Trim off the excess pastry overhanging the edges of the pan. (Use the extra to patch any holes in the crust or give it to your child. She'll know what to do with it.)
In a large bowl, toss together all the ingredients for the fruit filling of your choice. Dump into prepared pie crust, pressing the fruit lightly to fill the shell, and mounding it up a little in the centre.
Now, roll out the remaining pastry on a well-floured surface into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the pie plate. Remember - you'll need some overhang to seal the edges (you can always trim off any excess). Carefully transfer the rolled-out pastry to the pie. Make sure it's centred over the filling - you really don't want to have to move it after it's in place. Now gently tuck the top crust under the edges of the bottom crust rotating the pie plate a little bit at a time as you go around. Relax - you're almost there.
Now this is the fun part. Firmly crimp the top and bottom crusts together to make a fluted (technical term) edge. Or just press around the rim with a fork. This not only makes the pie look fancy and professional, but it also seals the juicy filling inside so that it doesn't leak all over the bottom of your oven. Cut 3 or 4 slits into the top of the pie to act as steam vents.
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the fruit is soft (poke a thin knife into one of the steam vents to check) and the crust is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving with, of course, vanilla ice cream.

This article was originally published on Nov 01, 2001

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